WEBVTT HAVEONE.♪♪SOLEDA WELCOME TO MATTER OFFACT.THE SEARCH FOR A BETTER LIFE CANSOMETIMES COST LIVES AND IN 2015MORE THAN 5000 MEN, WOMEN, ANDCHILDREN DIE FLEEING THEIR HOMENATION RUNNING WAY FROM ARMEDCONFLICTS, HUNGER, AND POLITICALINFIGHTING.THAT SEARCH FOR A NEW HOME FREEFROM PERSECUTION, POVERTY ANDWAR IS TURNING FAMILIES INTOREFUGEES.TODAY, WE FOCUS ON THEM.THE U.S. HAS RESETTLED 3 MILLIONREFUGEES SINCE CONGRESS PASSEDTHE REFUGEE ACT OF 1980.THAT'S ROUGHLY THE POPULATION OFTHE-- CHICAGO.ONE SMALL CITY OUTSIDE ATLANTAIS EMBRACING ITS ROLE AS A NEWHOME FOR THOSE SEEKING A NEWSTART.CLARKSTON, GEORGIA HAS BEENRESETTLING REFUGEES FOR MORETHAN TWO DECADES.LIVING WITHIN ITS ONE-AND-A-HALFSQUARE MILES, THERE ARE SOME40 NATIONALITIES WITH WHITES NOWIN THE MINORITY.AND EVEN AS PRESIDENT TRUMP'SSO-CALLED TRAVEL BAN BRINGSNEW UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THEIMMIGRATION POLICY.HERE'S CORRESPONDENT JESSICAGOMEZ.>> THROUGH THE WINDOW YOU MAYGET A LATTE OR CAPPUCCINO.THE STAFF AS EXOTIC AS THEDRINKS THEY MAKE.THIS COMMUNITY HAS BEAUTIFULDIVERSITY.>> A GRANDMOTHER OF EIGHT OPENTHE COFFEE COMPANY TO OFFERREFUGEES WHO COME TO CLARKSTONSOME SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY.THE COFFEE SHOP IS ANEXTENSION OF THE AMERICAN LIVINGROOM AND IF WE CAN SHOW PEOPLEHOW HOSPITALITY IS DONE AND APLACE THAT FEELS SAFE, WHYWOULDN'T WE DO THAT?>> FOR SOME REFUGEES, WITH THEWELCOME COMES A JOB.IT'S A STEP UP FROM THE CHICKENPROCESSING PLANT BECAME WHEN HEFIRST CAME TO THE U.S. THE FORMER HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERFLED PERSECUTION IN THEDEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO.THE SITUATION IS NOT GOODTHERE, NO PEACE OR FREEDOM OFSPEECH.>> AT 24 YEARS OLD, HE SUPPORTSHIS ENTIRE FAMILY WITH THE JOB,THE FORMER DENTAL STUDENT ESCAPESYRIA, LEAVING HIS POSSESSIONSAND DREAMS BEHIND.>> WE WERE DRIVING AND HEARINGFROM TWO SIDES, AND HEARING,SHOTS, BOMBS, ROCKETS.>> EVERYBODY HAS A HEARTBREAK.EVERYBODY COMES FROM SOMETHINGTHAT IS UNIMAGINABLE TO ME.IT WAS IN THE LATE 1980'STHAT THE SMALL CITY OF CLARKSTONWAS TARGETED AS A REFUGEERESETTLEMENT AREA. THE AVAILABLETRANSPORTATION AND PROXIMITY TATLANTA MADE IT IDEAL.AS DID THE LARGE NUMBER OFMULTI-FAMILY APARTMENTBUILDINGS, LEFT EMPTY ASSUBURBAN AMERICAN FAMILIES MOVEDFURTHER AWAY. ONCE A SITE FORKKK GATHERINGS, TODAY, ABOUTHALF OF CLARKSTON IS FOREIGNBORN, SOME 1,500 REFUGEES ARRIVEEVERY YEAR.>> AS LONG ASWE ARE PART OF THEUNITED NATIONS TREATY ANDWILLING TO TAKE IN REFUGEES WHOTHROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWNHAVE BEEN DISPLACED FROM THEIRHOMES, CLARKSTON WILL CONTINTO WELCOME THEM.CLARKSTON AND ITSREFUGEES,EVEN THE YOUNGER ONES, NOTIMMUNE TO THE GROWING UNEASE ANDDEBATE OVER IMMIGRATION.I FELT WELCOME WHEN I CAMEHERE, WE WERE LIKE EVERYONEAND LAST YEAR OR THE YEAR BEFORE, SOME PEOPLE WERE LIKE, MOREHOSTILE TOWARDS US.>> VER SCARY AND I TOLD MYKIDS, WE DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY HAD.>> 10 UNDOCUMENTED SOMALIS WEREARRESTED HERE AND ARE PREPARINGTO SEND THEM BACK TO SOME ALLYOU.MANY LIVED HERE FOR YEARS,ALLOWED TO STAY BECAUSECONDITIONS IN THEIR HOME COUNTRYHAD BEEN SO BAD.>> IF YOU LET ME SAY-- THEY 17YEARS, AND THEN I AM DEPORTED,SOME DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE TOSAY GOODBYE.>> MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN DETAINED.AS THE FAMILIES WAIT FOR WOR, IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES SAYNONE HAVE REFUGEE STATUS AND THEMAJORITY OF SOME SORT OFCRIMINAL CONVICTION.DESPITE THE ONGOINGVIOLENCE ANDFAMINE IN SOMALIA, SINCE LASTYEAR THE PROTECTIONS THAT HAVEBEEN IN PLACE, EVEN FOR THEUNDOCUMENTED, ARE NO LONGER.IN STATEMENT TO MATTER OFFACT, A SPOKESPERSON FOR USCUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATIOENFORCEMENT SAYS QUOTE "THESEARE ALL UNLAWFULLY PRESENTFOREIGN NATIONALS WHO HAD THEIRDAY IN COURT AND WERE ORDEREDREMOVED FROM THE COUNTRY BY AFEDERAL IMMIGRATION JUDGE."19 YEAR OLD MOHAMMED RAGE ISWAITING FOR WORD ABOUT HIS DAD,WHO NEVER CAME HOME AFTER AROUTINE CHECK-IN WITHIMMIGRATION OFFICIALS.ONE OF THE DETAINEES WITH NOCRIMINAL RECORD-HE'S A RADIOJOURNALIST, AND HAS BEEN IN THEU.S. FOR 16 YEARS.>> HE HAS NEVER COMMITTED ACRIME, SO I DON'T KNOW WHY HE ISBEING LOCKED UP LIKE A CRIMINAL.>> MEANTIME, THE REFUGEEBARISTAS SAY THEY FEEL SAFE ANDSUPPORTED. REFUGE COFFEEREQUIRES EVERY EMPLOYEE TO GOTHROUGH 4 HOURS OF JOB TRAININGEVERY WEEK, PREPARING THEM FORTHE AMERICAN WORKFORCE.CRITICAL SKILLS, AS MOST HAVEONLY A MATTER OF MONTHS BEFORETHEY'RE EXPECTED TO SURVIVE ONTHEIR OWN.>> ONE OF THE NICE THINGS ABOUTGEORGIA IS WE HAVE ONE OF THEHIGHEST SELF- SUFFICIENCY RATESFOR NEWLY ARRIVED REFUGEES INTHE COUNTRY AND IT GENERALLYHOVERS AROUND 90% OF HOUSEHOLDSARE SELF-SUFFICIENT WITHIN THEFIRST SIX MONTHS OF ARRIVAL.>> THANK YOU.>> THEY SAIDINTELLIGENT GUY ISSOMEONE WHO CAN ADAPT HIS LIFETO ANY CONDITION HE FIND HIMSELFAND.THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY.>> NO OTHE WAYTHEY SAY BUT TOREINVENT THEMSELVES AND STARTDREAMING NEW DREAMS.>> MY DREAM IS TO HAVE A HOMEAND OWN A BUSINESS.THE AMERICAN DREAM.

Searching for A Better Life in America

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Updated: 11:45 AM CDT Jun 16, 2017

Clarkston, GA is a small town of just 1.1 square miles outside of Atlanta and is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in America. Home to people of nearly 40 different nationalities, Clarkston has been resettling refugees for over two decades. As the national debate about the U.S.’s immigration policy and its responsibility in taking in refugees continues, the refugees already here are beginning to feel the tension.